Pages

Friday, September 30, 2016

Faceless by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Faceless is an extremely inspirational realistic fiction YA book about discrimination and beauty. It teaches about being comfortable with who you are. Maisie woke up in a hospital. The doctors put her in a medically induced coma for the past couple weeks to spare her the pain of her injuries.

While Maisie was running through her neighborhood, it started to rain. Lightning hit a power line and the power line fell on her. A neighbor immediately ran out with a fire extinguisher, but it was too late for part of her body. Electrical fires spread faster than any other. She had burns all over the left side of her body, and the fire destroyed her nose, cheeks and chin.

She is lucky to qualify for a face transplant. Her parents think it is the chance for her to have a normal life, but Maisie cannot think anything other than the fact that she is wearing what belongs to somebody else, and that she is very ugly. None of her friends are the same, and neither is her boyfriend. People do not understand or recognize her. What's worse, neither does Maisie.

Maisie was a very connectable character. Discrimination and judging are things that happen regularly, and one can understand how the character is feeling. There was a lot of emotion, and I was impressed at how many thoughts and feelings there were in the book. There is a touch of romance. It is not huge, and it was understandable. While Chirag made some bad decisions and judged her a little bit, his feelings were acceptable. He was actually a great character. Chirag was one of the most perfect boyfriends you could ask for, but he was peer pressured.

This is probably the most inspirational book I have ever read! Faceless went deep into the issues that teens face. A major theme is that what is on the inside is more important than what is on the outside, and also that you should not judge a book by its cover. When Maisie went out in public or at school, people automatically treated her differently, and everyone stared and whispered. She did not always deal with it in the best way, but I admire how she got through everything. Those around her regarded her differently and judged her based on her scars. It is important to know that the person inside can be completely different from what is on the outside.

It is also important to take care of yourself, regardless of if you like the consequences or the side effects. Maisie made a bad decision, and it is important to note that you have to listen to your doctor, or at least tell the truth. Honesty was a big factor in the book. Faceless showed that honesty really is the best policy, even if the truth hurts. The details and descriptions of the hospital were really awesome, and I felt like I was there at her hospital bed, seeing everything she did.